Cushioned wheel for vehicles.



W. J. HIGM'AN. cusmoun WHEEL Pon.' vEmcLBs.

APPLIOATIO FILED 21118.18', 1909.

Patented Nov. 30, 1909.

a SHEETS-SHEET 1.

- f//ff/f) WI J. HIGMAN. GUSIHONEDv WHEEL POR VEHICLES. l

APPLIoATIoN FILED FEB. 1a, 1909. Patented Nov. 30, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET v2.

' UNITED sTaTEs PATENT oEEioE.

WILLIAM J: HIGMAN, OF DENVER, COLORADO. j i

GUSIEIIONEI) WHEEL FOR VEHICLE-S;

To all whom it may' concern:

Be it known tha-t I, VILLIAM J. HIGMAN, a'citizen of the United States of America, residing in the city and county of Denver and State of Colorado, have invented a new and useful Cushioned Vlieel foriVehicles, of

which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in cushioned wheels.

The object of the invention is to provide a device of this character-,consisting of a wheel of substantially ordinary construction, and a tire of greater diameter than lsaid wheel, which encircles it, and is maintained ina position concentric thereto, when v.thewheel is'free from pressure, by a series of suitably'curved springs, interposed between the tiie and wheel, said springs being` secured midway of their ends `to the wheel, while their ends are connected by suitable coupling devices to the adjacent ends of similar springs, thus producing a series of connected springs which not. 'only are conipressible under pressure, but are adapted to expand or contract throughout rtheir length, s0 that the action of each spring is communicated to the next adjoining spring, as the wheel turns, means being employed for housing the springs and for holding the tire in line with the wheel, the arrangement being fully` set 'forth in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1, is a side elevation of a portion of a wheel constructed in accordance with my invention, the circular housing plates on one side of the wheel being removed to show the arrangement of the cushioning springs. Fig. Q, is a transverse sectional View, enlarged size, on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3, is a similar View on the line 3--2'3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4, is a front eleva-tion on a much smaller scale, of one of the rings which forni a lateral stay or support for the'outer pair ofv housing plates. Fig. 5, is a transverse sectional view thereof. Fig. 6, is a. front view of one ofthe outer housing plates. Fig.' i, is a transverse sectional view thereof. Fig. 8, is a front view of one of the inner housing plates. Fig. 9, is a transverse sectional view thereof. Fig. 10, is a frontview of one of.

the stay rings against which the inner lions ing plates are supported. And Fig. 11, is a transverse sectional view showing the manner of connecting these-rings.

Similar numerals of reference refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

speciacation of Leiters raient.

Patented Nov. 13o, 1909.

Application filed February 1S, 1909. Serial No. l178,615.

- Referring to the accompanying drawings, the numeral 1, designates the felly of an ordinary wheel, and 2, the tire, which is somewhat wider `than the felly' so as to project beyond each side of it. Upon the periphery of this tire is secured a plurality of substantially bow-shaped springs 3, an interval being left betweenl the ends of one spring and those of the adjoining springs. Each spring, as illustrated, is made up of two leaves, and they are formed with a curved portion on each side of their centers, which permit of their being expanded' or contracted lengthwise. The springs are provided with bolt holes, midway of their ends, and bolts -l extend through the telly, the tire, and the leaves of the springs, and through U-shaped saddle plates 5, which confine the leaves and rest against the tire. Nuts- (5, are screwed upon the bolts, and against the plates 5, and to prevent them from becoming detached from the bolts, split pins T. are passed through apertures in the bolts, so as to lie against-thc nuts. The ends of the adjoining springs are pivotally secured upon bolts 8, which connect pairs of blocks 9, between which the ends of the springs are confined. and in this way the springs are connected to form a continuous cushioning medium around the periphery of the wheel. i

A metal band 10 of greater diameter thanv the wheel tire, is placed around the springs, and this band is engaged and held in a position concentric with the wheel tire, by the ring plates 12. `The several pairs of blocks t), are mounted on bolts 23, which do not bear against vthe band 10. butwhich are held lagainst the,` bolts 23 by the springs 3.

crosssection, and annular grooves or depressions 13^ about midway of theirwidths The tire is provided with annular ridgeslet and the plates 12 are placed one on each side of the tire, so that the clenching portions engage the ridges 14 and also the metal band'ilO. pair of rings 15, of slightly greater diameter than the tire 2, are placed which pass through sleeves 17, which sleeves maintain a uniform space between the rings, and prevent themfrom being pressed toward each other. The inner portions of the ring plates 12, bear against and are prevented from being pressed toward each other, by the rings 15, as will clearly be seen by reference to Figs. 1, 2, and 3. A second pair of ringplates- 18, are employed, and these plates are formed with annular grooves 19, about their inner edges, which are hookshaped in cross section. One of these plates is placed on each side of the wheel, so that their hooked grooves 19 engage 'the extended edges of the tire 2, while their dat portions overlap the plaines 12. The bolts 16, which pass through the rings 15, also pass through the plates 18, which are thus clamped upon the tire 2, by nuts 20. Washers 21, are interposed between the plates 18 and the rings 15, on the bolts 16, and prevent the plates -18 from being-drawn together against the plates v12, when the nuts 20 are tightened upon. the bolts 16. A suitable space is leftv between the inner edges of the plates 12. and the'tire 2, and also between the outer edges of the plates 18 and the clenching porp' tions of the plates 12, so that as the springs 3 arencompressed under weight or by Jolting of-th'vehicle, the wheel will be permitted to move toward the band l10 at the point of contact of the outer tire with the road.

'The ring plates 18, are kept from spreading at their outer extremities', by rings 22,

'which lie against them, and these 'rines are held by bolts 23, which pass through sleeves 24, which sleeves pass through the blocks 9, andcontact with the ring plates 12, which are thereby heldinparallel relation. Tashers 25 lie between the rings 22, and the plates 12, on the bolts y23, and -when'nuts 26 are screwed upon these bolts, the rings are clamped against the washers 25, and the washers against the plates 12, the sleeves 24 acting as abut-ments, and the grooved outer edges of the plates 12, clench the tire and hold'it in place. The washers 25, prevent the rings-22 from being clamped against the plates 18, and the inneredges of these rings are formed with annular-,channels or grooves 27, which stand opposite the ,channels 13A, or the ring plates 12, and suitable waterproof packing rings 28 are placed within these grooves, so as to bear against the outer faces of the plates- 18, while vsimilarv packing rings 29 are placed in the grooves 13A, and bear against the opposite faces of the plates 18, thelatter rings being more particularly to prevent the noise which would otherwise occur, bycontact of the p1ates12 and 18, when the vehicle is in motion. The platesl 1 2 and 18 form a hous-- ing for the springs 3, and prevent the entrance of dirt and-moisture. The outer peripheral edges ofthe plates 18 alie formed with recesses 3Q, which lie in radial lines, with the washers y25 on the bolts 23, and the inner edges of the plates 12 are formed with similarrecesses 31, which lie in radial lines with the washers 21, on the bolts 16, and as the plates 12 and18 slide one upon the other as the wheel turns, the washers slide into their respective recesses, in case of jars or sudden jolts, as the portion of the wheel beneath them contacts with the roadway, and thus the full movement of theplates is not interfered with.

rlhe plates 12, clench and hold the tire 11 upon the band 10, and the plates 18 revent lateral movement of the tire 11, re atively to the wheel. y, K

In assembling the parts, the springs 3, are first attached to thegwheel, in the manner described, and the rings 15 are placed around the wheel. The ri L' plates 12, arev next placed in position, and the' plates 18 are placedl over the v'plates 12z and secured by bolts' 16 and. nuts 20.' The rings 22 are then placed lover the plates 18, and secured by the bolts 23,` and nuts 26, the acking rings 28 and 29 and washers having een supplied in their proper order. As the wheel revolves, thefsprin 3 are successively compressed, more 4or da-according to the load in the vehicle, and the bouncing of the sanne due to the unevenuess of the roadway, and as the springs are f compressed, theyl also yield throughout their lengths, so that the` cushioning action at the 'point 'of contact of the tire with the roadw'a is communi! cated in each direction, there being no break in the continuity of the action, 'which is continuous and unlform throughout. The invention herein described, is simple in construction, and may be readily applled, to wheels of ordinary construction.

Having described the'invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is: h

1. The combination with a wheel, of a plurality of curved springs secured to the periphery of the whec, midway of Atheir lengths, and means for connecting the ends of the adjoining springs; a band around said springs in contact with thesaid connecting means; a tire on the band; ring plates having annular clenching grooves by which the tire is secured to the band, and which partially inclose the springs; ring plates sccured to the wheel tire, which overla the first ring plates, and means for ho ding them in parallel relation; rings overlapping the outer edges of said plates, and bolts which pass through said rings, and the firstmentioned ring plates to secure Vthem against lateral movement.

2. The combination with a wheel, having a tire of greater width th-an its fel-ly; of a plurality of curved springs secured to said lthe said blocks; a tire on said band; circular clenching plates which clamp the tire to the band and partially inclose the springs, and means vfor securin them together and in parallel relation; circular plates having an nular grooves which overlie the extended edges of the wheel tire, which plates overlap the' clenching plates and means for holding them together and in parallelrelation; -grooved rings surrounding the outer edges of said plates, andI held by the" securing means of the clenching plates; .a water-prooil packing medium in the grooves of said rings, in contact with the adJacent plates; and a packing medium between each pair of said plates.

,3. The combination with a wheel, having a tire which projects on each side beyond its telly, of a band surrounding said tire 'of greater diameter than the tire; circular ring' plates secured upon the 0pposite edges of said band, of lessvwidth than the space between the band and tire; circularring plates, which overlap the first plates,and are provided with annular hooked edges, which en vgage' the extended edges of the wheel tire,y and means including boltsfor holding each pair of ring plates against .lateral move-A ment and in parallel order; a plurality of curved springs secured midway of their ends aroundthe wheel tire; connecting devices between the ends Aof the adjoining springs, a.

central.l-)earing` bolt for supporting each connecting device, and a resilient tire upon said band.

4. The combination with a Wheel havlng a tire of greater width than the felly, of a plurality ,of curved springs secured around said tire midway of their lengths; connecting devices between the ends of the adjoining springs, a'band encircling said springs; a resilient tire on said' band; ring plates having `annular hooked outer edges adapted toengage the tire and band, and of less width than the spaceA between the band and wheel tire; ring plates having hooked inner vedges which engage the proJecting edges of the wheel tire, and which overlap the irst ring plate; said. plates also being of less width than the space between the band and wheel tire; rings of slightly greater diameter than the wheel tire, which lie on either side of the springs and against the'rst mentioned plates; sleeves between said rings which hold ,them in; parallel order; ,bolts which pass through' said sleeves and the outside ring plates and washers on said bolts between the rings and the said plates; spacing sleeves between the inner plates; bolts passing'through. said plates and sleeves; ring .plates surroundting the louter edges of the outside plates, through which the latter bolts also pass; a water-proof packing medium between said latter plates and the adjacent plates; and a packing medium between saldi/:inner and outer plates. l

In testimony whereof I aflix inly.4 signature in presence of two witnesses.

` WILLIAMl J.' HIGMAN. Witnesses:

SARGENT ELLIOTT; ADELLA M. FoWLE. 

